Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 397 The Eastern Glory Conference Opens!
April 2th, night.

The Central Arena of the Capital.

This massive stadium, capable of holding tens of thousands of people, is now like a boiling volcano that has been ignited.

The noise was deafening, almost lifting the closed dome off.

The stands were packed, with countless glow sticks and support signs forming a shimmering sea of ​​stars, swaying to the rhythm of the music.

The air felt warm from the dense crowd, mixed with the sweet aroma of popcorn and excited emotions.

Chen Yuan and the other contestants sat in the contestant-only area with the best view.

He could clearly feel the mixed gazes of curiosity, admiration, and scrutiny coming from all directions.

The elite beast tamers from various provinces mostly sat upright with solemn expressions, and an invisible pressure and fighting spirit permeated the air.

Chen Yuan looked around and saw many familiar faces, including Jiang Wenning from Shanghai.

Jiang Wenning happened to glance at her, and their eyes met for a moment before they nodded.

Time passed slowly, and finally it was eight o'clock in the evening.

Swish-!
As all the lights in the stadium suddenly went out, plunging the venue into darkness, the gasps from the audience had not yet fully risen.

Boom! Thud! Clang!
The stirring and magnificent music exploded like thunder, and countless huge beams of light were projected down from all around the venue, precisely focusing on the huge stage in the center of the venue.

A sprightly old man, exuding an air of authority, slowly walked to the podium in the center of the stage.

His gaze swept across the entire venue with lightning speed, instantly silencing the previously boisterous crowd, leaving only the echoing music and tens of thousands of expectant eyes.

"Distinguished guests, fellow Beast Tamers, and all the people of Donghuang!"

The voice of the president of the Donghuang Beast Tamer Association was clearly heard through the amplification equipment, resonating throughout every corner of the venue, steady and powerful.

"In this new era where opportunities and challenges coexist, we gather here not only for competition, but also to showcase the spirit and strength of us, the Beast Tamers of the Eastern Empire! Let us strive forward and create a brilliant future together!"

After a brief opening, he abruptly changed the subject, his voice rising sharply and filled with passion:
"And the Eastern Empire Tournament is the ultimate stage to test the skills of us Beast Tamers!"

"The winner here will receive the highest honor—the champion of the Eastern Empire Tournament! Or rather," he paused deliberately, surveying the entire arena before announcing, word by word, "the Eastern! Empire! Champion!"

"Wow——!"

The entire stadium erupted in deafening cheers and applause!
What does it mean to be the champion of Donghuang?

The president surveyed the room, his voice alluring, and continued:
"It signifies unparalleled glory, the highest level of resource allocation, and that your name will be recorded in history!"

He waved his arm, pointing to a solemn and sacred hall projected on a virtual screen above the venue: "Your image will be forever recorded in the Beast Taming Hall of Fame!"

"There are many champions, but there is only one champion of the Eastern Empire! Only the strongest can enter the Hall of Fame and be admired by all the beast tamers of the Eastern Empire for generations!"

Upon hearing this, almost every beast tamer in the contestant area had a burning flame in their eyes, their breathing became rapid, and their fists clenched unconsciously.

This honor is too tempting!
For many beast tamers who already come from wealthy families, material rewards and money can no longer stir their hearts.

But spiritual rewards are different. Especially when the words "to be remembered in history" are heard, it is enough to make the adrenaline of most beast tamers soar, and they will do everything in their power for it.

Just then, the giant screens around the venue began rapidly switching cameras, focusing on the champion favorites who were widely favored before the competition.

When the camera captured Ye Sheng, the first Morning Star Beastmaster of Donghuang and the most popular champion of the Donghuang Tournament, was leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed.

His gaze was cold and arrogant, as if everything around him was irrelevant to him, exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay.

The camera continued to move, then focused on Li Tianyun, the number one figure at the headquarters of the Donghuang Beast Taming Academy, who had a huge online reputation.

The handsome young man flashed his signature gentle smile at the camera and waved lightly, immediately eliciting a frenzy of screams from his fan base.

The camera quickly shifted to a young woman with a gentle and graceful demeanor. Su Lan smiled back, her smile beautiful and confident, like a rare orchid in a secluded valley, instantly winning people's favor.

Immediately afterwards, a familiar face of Chen Yuan appeared on the screen.

Lu Ran still sported his unruly red hair. He stared at the camera, a smug smile playing on his lips, and raised a finger high, clearly declaring – First place is mine!

A chorus of boos erupted, but Lu Ran seemed oblivious, his smile arrogant.

The camera continued to move, then suddenly focused on Chen Yuan.

He seemed to have just said something to Shi Gang next to him, turned his head and saw the camera, paused slightly, then showed a gentle smile and naturally raised his hand to wave.

The audience immediately erupted in cheers and applause, clearly having attracted a great deal of attention after a series of sensational events that went viral online.

The introduction of popular contestants brought the atmosphere to another small climax.

After the president's brief speech, the grand opening ceremony performance officially began.

Unlike previous years, the opening ceremony's song and dance performance was highly creative, perfectly blending beast-taming elements with art:
A group of dancers in colorful costumes danced with a group of shimmering butterflies with dazzling wings. The fluttering wings scattered glittering powder, forming a dreamlike galaxy above the stage.

A beast tamer directed rock-type pets to "carve" a huge relief of the Eastern Empire map on the spot, which was magnificent and drew rounds of applause.

There was also an aerial formation composed of dozens of bird pets with different attributes. They sometimes formed a huge phoenix pattern, and sometimes scattered like fireworks, eliciting gasps of amazement from the audience.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the spectacular performances.

As the last program ended, the host shouted excitedly, "Now, let us witness this historic moment together—lighting the sacred flame of the Donghuang Assembly!"

All the lights focused once again on the center of the venue—a simple, towering cauldron stood quietly, its top empty.

Just as everyone held their breath in anticipation.

"Roar—!!!!"

A desolate and ancient dragon roar, imbued with boundless majesty and power, seemed to come from the heavens above, piercing through the stadium's dome and shaking the hearts of everyone present.

A noticeable tremor suddenly came from Chen Yuan's sleeve. He looked down and noticed that Dan Dan's emotions had clearly fluctuated the moment the dragon's roar sounded, and his whole body seemed to be trembling.

Before they could even process Egg's unusual behavior, part of the dome at the top of the venue slowly opened.

Thick dark clouds had gathered in the night sky sometime earlier.

An enormous, sky-covering black shadow, accompanied by heavy wind pressure, slowly descended from the clouds!

Swish!Swish!Swish!
All the dazzling spotlights instantly shone on that dark figure.

In the light, its true form was fully revealed.

This is an extremely majestic dragon, estimated to be over twenty meters long, covered with thick, crimson scales that resemble lava, gleaming under the spotlight.

The enormous dragon head resembled a small mountain, its ferocious horns pierced the sky, and a pair of dragon eyes burning with golden flames swept across the entire scene, revealing its majestic aura overlooking all living beings.

An unknown colossal dragon slowly and majestically circled the arena, displaying its breathtakingly massive size and terrifying dragon power: "Roar~"

The audience fell into a deathly silence, stunned into silence by the sudden appearance of this mythical creature, before erupting into a thunderous roar of cheers and shouts that seemed to pierce the sky!
"Dragon! Dragon! Dragon!"

"No wings? Great!"

"So big, so long, how strong must it be?"

Amidst the clamor of discussion, the dragon finished its coiling and then, facing the sacred fire platform below, opened its enormous maw, seemingly capable of swallowing mountains and rivers. The next moment, a dazzling, golden-red flame surged and gathered deep within the dragon's throat!
boom! ! ! !

A massive pillar of fire, like the breath of the sun, burst forth from the dragon's mouth and struck the torch atop the cauldron with pinpoint accuracy.

Bang!
The sacred flame was instantly ignited, and golden flames shot into the sky, radiating endless light and heat.

Almost simultaneously, countless dazzling fireworks soared into the sky around the venue, exploding into a sea of ​​brilliant flowers in the night sky, illuminating the entire capital city's night sky as if it were daytime.

Cheers, cannon salutes, and the roar of dragons—all these sounds converged at this moment, pushing the atmosphere of the opening ceremony to its peak!

The host's voice rang out clearly through the noise: "The Eastern Glory Conference is officially open!"

The opening ceremony ended at 10 p.m., and the crowd surged out of the stadium like a tide.

Fireworks continued to light up the night sky, and the air was filled with discussions about the spectacular appearance of the giant dragon.

Chen Yuan walked slowly with the crowd. He lowered his head, gently touched his cuff, and asked in a low voice, "Egg, what happened earlier? Were you afraid of that giant dragon?"

"hold head high!"

An excited and sharp dragon roar immediately came from the cuff: "Roar!"

How can it be!

I am the supreme true dragon! My bloodline is noble!
Why would I be afraid? I would be afraid of it!

But upon closer listening, Chen Yuan noticed that Dandan's voice was getting softer and softer, clearly indicating a lack of confidence.

Seeing that Chen Yuan didn't believe him, a hint of annoyance flashed in Egg's eyes. It paused for a moment, then forced a defense: "Ang Ang!"

I just suddenly felt a bit cold!
Yes! It's just too cold here, and I'm not used to it yet!

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan couldn't help but chuckle. He stopped teasing Egg and instead began to ponder this giant dragon he had never seen before.

"There is no record of this dragon on the Beastmaster website, so its information is confidential."

"Hmm, with such power and size, is there really a beast tamer who can contract it?"

The prerequisite for a successful contract is gaining the pet's approval, and the key to gaining approval is defeating it.

Chen Yuan didn't believe that he could gain the approval of such a powerful creature just by talking. Did he think he was the protagonist of an anime?
But at this time, he did not believe that any beast tamer could defeat this dragon.

After all, even Spark felt an overwhelming sense of pressure during the dragon's brief appearance.

"If this dragon wasn't contracted by a beast tamer, what is its relationship with the Beast Tamer Association?"

"cooperate?"

"Or perhaps I could work for the association?" Chen Yuan's mind was racing.

As the crowd returned to their accommodation at the Genting International Hotel, all the Qin Province athletes gathered in the conference hall.

Zhang Hao stood at the front, his expression serious.
"Everyone, the list of venue assignments has just been released. During the points-based competition, there will be 32 venues operating simultaneously. I will now tell you each person's assigned venue."

He looked at the tablet in his hand and quickly read aloud: "Zhuang Jianbai, Venue 1; Shi Gang, Venue 2; Chen Yuan, Venue 11."

Everyone nodded, silently memorizing their meeting information.

"Everyone can now log in to the official system of the Donghuang Tournament to check their specific match number, time, and opponent information," Zhang Hao added after finishing speaking about each player's venue.

Chen Yuan took out his phone, logged in skillfully, and refreshed the screen, clearly displaying his match schedule information:
[Contestant]: Chen Yuan (Qin Province)
[Match]: Round 1 of the points-based tournament

[Time]: February 6th, 9:00 AM
[Venue]: Venue 11
[Opponent]: Huang Li (Chongqing City), High-level Beast Tamer

"If I remember correctly, the first match of the points tournament started at nine in the morning."

"My first match is the opening game, and everyone is watching."

Looking at his match schedule, Chen Yuan's eyes flickered slightly.

A short while later, Zhou Xu sent a file containing detailed information about his opponent, Huang Li, including an analysis of the skills and tactical styles of his three main pets.

As Chen Yuan's assistant, Zhou Xu was responsible not only for his food, clothing, and lodging, but also for collecting detailed information on each contestant, including but not limited to their pet lineup, skill configuration, and tactical style.

Furthermore, there will be dedicated analysts to help Chen Yuan analyze his opponents and develop targeted strategies.

Chen Yuan quickly glanced through the list, a thoughtful expression on his face: "The Wildfire Giant?"

After the meeting, he did not go back to his room to rest, but went directly to the private training venue arranged for him by the association.

The venue was brightly lit, and Chen Yuan summoned all the little guys with a thought.

The little ones reacted differently to the upcoming Donghuang Tournament.

Cola excitedly jumped around a few times, its tail wagging like a whirlwind, and it let out an uncontrollable "howling" sound from its throat, its bright blue eyes burning with intense fighting spirit!
It's finally here!

My chance to make a name for myself, Cola, has arrived!

This time, I'm going to prove to everyone who is the number one dog in Donghuang!
Spark remained calm as always, gracefully preening the feathers on its wings, its gaze serene, though its golden-red eyes continued to gleam.

The Morning and Evening Flower Fairy floated in mid-air, her expression indifferent, as if everything around her was irrelevant to her.

But it can give everything to help "Mom" win the championship.

Egg was even more direct. It transformed into a two-meter-long, elegant dragon body and flew in front of Chen Yuan. Its dragon eyes, which seemed to flow like a galaxy, stared straight at Chen Yuan, filled with an eager desire to make its appearance.

Chen Yuan looked at the little ones who were reacting in different ways, cleared his throat, and put on a serious and earnest expression.

"Everyone," his voice echoed in the empty training ground, "tomorrow is the first match of the Eastern Glory Tournament."

His gaze swept over each of the pets: "This is not just a simple victory or defeat, but also the best touchstone to test the results of our joint efforts and hard training over this period of time."

"I don't expect you to completely crush your opponents, but I hope you will all take this seriously and show your strongest abilities and most unique brilliance!" His tone was encouraging and trusting. "Remember, no matter who the opponent is, we must give it our all!"

"Aww!" Cola, the most enthusiastic supporter, nodded repeatedly.

Understood!
The master's meaning is that whoever it is, we should use all our strength to crush them to pieces!

At that moment, a powerful shockwave surged around Cola, and a howling wind whipped Chen Yuan's hair.

Spark's eyes were bright, and a faint golden-red flame appeared around her. The Morning and Evening Flower Fairy gently waved her petal-shaped palms, and a pure purple-black light ball gathered between them, which made people's hearts tremble.

A series of powerful energy fluctuations suddenly erupted, and Chen Yuan quickly said, "No, no, no, calm down. It's not time for you to make your appearance yet."

After saying that, Chen Yuan turned to look at Dandan, his eyes blazing: "Dandan, you'll be playing in the first match tomorrow."

"hold head high!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Egg nodded decisively and then circled twice, its exquisite body appearing and disappearing in the clouds.

This king will surely crush his opponent!

(End of this chapter)